Tips & Tricks: Effect pedals – Mark your settings

Once found, every guitarist is willing to save the perfect settings of his pedals. There are various possibilities to protect the pots from unintentional adjustment. Here you will find an article about this topic.

But what if you want to alternate between two or three different settings? How can you save or mark the respective settings without fixing the pots?

Marker

Some time ago, every guitarist used the good old Edding to mark the settings on his pedals. These days, there are solutions that can be removed quite easily. The so-called Setting Saver Pen allows to place marks on the pedals that can be removed pretty easy.

Gaffa

Another solution is the guitarists` secret weapon: Gaffa tape. After placing the Gaffa next to the pot, you can use the good old Edding (here it comes again) to mark the setting. Of course, you can use every other tape as well. Possible residues can be removed quite simply with a bit of alcohol. And, there are also prefabricated stickers that can be placed around the pots to mark the settings.

Pictures

Today, almost every guitarist has a Smartphone with a camera in it. Therefore, it is pretty easy to take a picture of the perfect setting. The advantage is, that you can label the photos and put them in an individual order. For example, one photo for each song.

Gigrig Autopot

In 2016, Gigrig experimented with a midi controlled, engine operated device that ought to be able to adjust the setting of the pots of analog effect pedals. For those who already use a midi controller on his pedalboard, this device will make all marks on the pedals redundant because all settings can be adjusted automatically. But, until now, I haven’t found the Autopot on the market yet.

At NAMM 2019, Chase Bliss Audio relaunched a preamp/overdrive with engine operated faders (according to those of a mixing console). This device also allows to dispense with marks around the pots and all sounds can be elected via midi.

You see, there are numerous possibilities which leave no space for apologies about not capturing the perfect sound analog or digitally.